When tests distract from main goals of New Jersey students' education

DURING the first three weeks in May, hundreds of thousands of New Jersey students in Grades 3 to 8 are taking the NJASK — New Jersey Assessment of Skills and Knowledge — standardized test. All elementary and middle school students have their school day redesigned around the testing program.

In contrast, high school juniors take the SAT test — the nearly century-old test that helps colleges make crucial admission decisions that can impact students’ lives for years — which requires a total of about three hours to complete.

The Bergen County Association of School Administrators cites the distinct dissimilarity between these two standardized tests as one example of why it’s concerned about portions of the reform agenda currently being implemented by the New Jersey Department of Education.